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[gw76]

Thanks Roni - hailey is getting less and less formula each day, but still some. Yesterday she had 7oz throughout the day... She seems to be more satisfied today and it might sound funny but my boobs feel more full?!? Anyway I will keep at it thanks again, you and nervous_1 have been very helpful

 

[roni_75]

Your welcome & anytime

 

[gw76]

okay so Hailey slept ALL night! She nursed from about 4:30pm till about 8pm and she still wouldn't settle so, even though I know we shouldn't have we topped her up with some formula, but she only took about an ounce! She then slept from about 9:30pm till 5am!! I almost died when I woke up and saw the time! She fed super well at 5 and I have been BFing all day - she is doing really well and I feel that I am doing alright too I felt bad for topping up, but as my hubby pointed out Hailey at one point was having anywhere from 16 to 24 ounces of formula a day and now she is having 1 or 2!!! I guess he is right, it is great progress!

My question is, all of that rambling to ask - should I be getting up even if she is sleeping to pump or should I wake her to feed? what do you think?
thanks,
gill

 

[Katt]

If her weight is ok, plenty of wet and dirty nappies, then leave her to sleep!

Well done for dropping to 1 oz! That is brilliant! It is easy to slip back though, especially during those long evening cluster feeding. Remember every time you put lo to the boob instead of giving a top up it will help your supply.

Fingers crossed for another long sleep tonight!

 

[Phantom]

Shyly poking my head in here...

My baby isn't here yet but I was wondering if I could get set up with a champion for some support and advice because I am VERY scared about breast feeding. I'm 24 and this is my first baby. I honestly feel as though I have no clue what I am doing! Women were made for breast feeding but it just seems so foreign to me. I have no idea what to get or where to start and the more I google the more overwhelmed I get. I have more anxiety about breast feeding than I do about the birth! My breasts always hurt as it is so I'm very scared about the pain I will experience. I'm also very uncomfortable with my body so I would like to pump as much as I can and maybe even use formula at night (if that's allowed). But of course I have no idea how to store milk or when/how often I am supposed to pump. I also have depression and an eating disorder which may cause issues for me- will I have to cut out all of my medication? And how will I know I am eating enough for the baby? (yes I do have a doctor but I can not see her until Sept)

I don't know if there is anyone who will be willing to help me with any of these issues but it would be great to have a bit of guidance so the experience can go as moothly as it can for my son and myself.

 

[Katt]

Hello phantom!

Firstly, you are jot alone in feeling scared by breastfeeding. There is so much information out there that it can overwhelm you. There are so many potential problems, that it feels like it will definitely be difficult. Not everyone has problems though!

I would strongly suggest that you stop googling! A book like the womanly art of breastfeeding mint be a good idea instead.

For the time being, forget about pumping. Your first priority should be getting feeding established. That means eating plenty (stock up on healthy snacks that you can eat one handed!), drinking plenty (keeo a water bottle next to you) and most of all, skin on skin. It cannot be underestimated how powerful this is! And I don't mean just for a while after lo is born, I mean a few days worth. Get into bed with lo, a light sheet to cover you, and stay there until feeding is established.

As for medication, it depends what you are taking. I know there are some meds for depression that are ok, some are not. I can look them up for you if you tell me the names. If you already suffer from depression, make sure you read up on pnd so you can watch for the signs.

Finally, relax! Bf is a skill that takes time to learn. Good luck! And feel free to pm me if you like x

 

[gw76]

Another good night - Hailey slept 6 hours! from about 10 till just after 4! again last night she took a 1oz top up before passing out.

The issue I'm having is that she is feeding almost non-stop all evening...yesterday she started about 5 and fed till about 9:45! She feeds for about 10 minutes or so, falls asleep or is satisfied, but then wants more pretty much straight after a little nap or nosey around. I know that my milk is never gone, but by the time she is finished with my boobs (last night 9:45) they are all smooshy, jello like and if I try to hand express anything, nothing comes out...I just don't think that my supply is there for her at that time of day...

suggestions to increase supply please
I am eating porridge, drinking lots of water, trying my best to eat 3 balanced meals....

 

[gw76]

Another good night - Hailey slept 6 hours! from about 10 till just after 4! again last night she took a 1oz top up before passing out.

The issue I'm having is that she is feeding almost non-stop all evening...yesterday she started about 5 and fed till about 9:45! She feeds for about 10 minutes or so, falls asleep or is satisfied, but then wants more pretty much straight after a little nap or nosey around. I know that my milk is never gone, but by the time she is finished with my boobs (last night 9:45) they are all smooshy, jello like and if I try to hand express anything, nothing comes out...I just don't think that my supply is there for her at that time of day...

suggestions to increase supply please
I am eating porridge, drinking lots of water, trying my best to eat 3 balanced meals....

 

[Katt]

Cluster feeding in the evening is totally normal! Plan ahead so you have a drink, a snack, a good book, the remote all to hand and get comfortable on the sofa.

It is not that your suppy is lacking, it is just lo's way of stocking up for the night, and sending a message to your body to produce more milk.

It doesn't last forever!

 

[gw76]

man i hope it does't last forever! i hope baby and body get all sorted soon

thanks Katt..

 

[Lety]

Arggh so fed up and tired!! LO is feeding more at night than in the day. I have been offering her as much as i can in the day but it makes no difference.

She's feeding about every 3 hours during the day and then in the evening she'll go down for the night anywhere from 6.30 - 9pm and will sleep between 2 and 3 hours then starts fussing so I feed her (still asleep), I put her back down and she fusses a bit but settles into deep sleep. Then after this first feed she fusses every 1-2 hours until the morning. The only thing that settles her 'fussing' is feeding her. I just want to cry its so exhausting. Can anyone suggest anything? Feel like a must be doing something wrong.

 

[MamaBird]

You aren't doing anything wrong hun
Although this doesn't help you get more sleep....some babies just wake up more often.
I know this isn't for everyone, but when my baby girl was waking up this often during the night I decided to co-sleep (until she was about 6 months) that way while she fed I could still sorta sleep.

 

[Katt]

Totally normal lety! They always seem to go for longer that first sleep!

I would recommend co sleeping, even if just for one night to catch up a a bit then start again tomorrow.

The other thing I would do is get oh to bring lo to me in bed, feed lying down then oh take her and settle back to sleep. It means you don't have to wake up fully!

Yu could try oh giving a bottle of ebm, this would mean you get a longer stretch of sleep.

Finally, hang in there! It does get better x

 

[roni_75]

Another good night - Hailey slept 6 hours! from about 10 till just after 4! again last night she took a 1oz top up before passing out.

The issue I'm having is that she is feeding almost non-stop all evening...yesterday she started about 5 and fed till about 9:45! She feeds for about 10 minutes or so, falls asleep or is satisfied, but then wants more pretty much straight after a little nap or nosey around. I know that my milk is never gone, but by the time she is finished with my boobs (last night 9:45) they are all smooshy, jello like and if I try to hand express anything, nothing comes out...I just don't think that my supply is there for her at that time of day...

suggestions to increase supply please
I am eating porridge, drinking lots of water, trying my best to eat 3 balanced meals....

I had a low supply at first and I? took brewer's yeast tablets (two tabs twice a day) for a month and now I have a lot of milk Good luck!!

 

[chrissie33]

Lety, I would too suggest getting OH to give baby a bottle of EBM if you can - it worked wonders for us, although DH did it for dreamfeed with Katie so I could get a few hours sleep but it made such a difference - makes them feel included too!

GW - I remember being really paranoid about my supply not being enough when Katie was small -to the extent I even opened the can of formula ready until my friend mentioned cluster feeding! What a relief to hear that my supply was not an issue and the fact that my boobs felt like lumps of jelly for most of the evening, katie was still getting milk - as proved by the HV the week after when Katie had put on 1lb in weight in a week
It really is a lot of work in the first few weeks but I tried to pump from the other boob when she had finished feeding (she only took one full boob till about 5 / 6 months) and then got DH to give her a bottle of EBM at the dream feed so I could go have a bath / early night and then I would feed her again through the night. It made a big difference knowing it is all normal and will pass - she is doing a LOT of growing right now and you are doing a brilliant job. Good luck hun x

 

[gw76]

Roni - where did you get the brewer's yeast tablets? I think I might have a look into them...
Hailey is still sleeping well through the night, and she hasn't been devouring my boobs just as much in the evening so I think we are getting there

thank you all for your support and words of wisdom

 

[roni_75]

Roni - where did you get the brewer's yeast tablets? I think I might have a look into them...
Hailey is still sleeping well through the night, and she hasn't been devouring my boobs just as much in the evening so I think we are getting there

thank you all for your support and words of wisdom

Your welcome I am so happy for you and your Lo. I am always glad to help, especially since I am so grateful for the help I received when I was starting out. I found the Brewer's Yeast at Superstore, but you can get them at any health food store and also Wal-Mart.

 

[chrissie33]

gw - great that she has calmed a bit, but dont worry if she starts up again for a day or two, just growth spurt and you will both settle into it more as you go

 

[HungryHippo]

Hi Ladies,
We have a 10-day old little girl born 7/26 @ 8 lbs 8 oz. She had no problems latching and feeding was consistent at 2-3 hours for Days 1-8. Now during the day she's feeding every 1:15 min to as low as 45 min. Our routine is she wakes, we diaper change, un-swaddle and feed one breast until she's done, then the 2nd. We then re-swaddle, shush and put her back down. But maybe 20 min later she's hollering and the only thing that quiets her is another feed. Is this cluster feeding? Maybe I just need to know what to expect as I got a little teary earlier now knowing if there was something else I could do to soothe her and feeling bad about being confined to a chair for so long. Any suggestions would be most welcome - thank you so much!

 

[bky]

Yes, that sounds like cluster feeding. About the right time for it to start as well. Just settle in with some bad TV or a good book if you can swing feeding 1 handed at this stage. Set up a nursing station near your chair with your lansinoh, books, breastpads, snacks, tv remote, cloths to wipe baby's face, tea, sandwiches and anything else you might want. Do try putting her down when she goes to sleep and if she wants more she'll wake up.